The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-01
CHARLESTON HAPPENINGS.
How the Earthquake Fund Was Dis
tributed - The New Paper - Other
Matters

weak the world over and human nature in
Charleston does not seem to be any weaker
OF stronger than human nature in any other
city; yet it has been, and is about to be,
subjected to very severe strain.
AS is we'll known. nearly
$4,000 was iii own into the lap o.
this stricken community when the awful
disaster Of August last overwhelmed it. 1t
was the spontaneous Offering of the world,
the touch of nature that makes the whole
world akin and it saved Charleston from
ruin and despair. 1t may readily be seen
that the distribution of the funds among
10000 people in such manner as to relieve
the real cases OF distress was
very difficult and delicate
task from which any man might well shrink.
Still, somebody had to do it, and n number
of gentlemen We're found who were willing
to undertake the work, and who did it &C
cording to their best lights, and did it well.
In order to be perfectly fair and honest in
this distribution they were compelled to de-
mand from applicants good deal of infor
nation as to their circumstances At this
there was much kicking, but the commit
tee, convinced that they were right, were
firm.
Well, they finished their work and at the
last meeting of the Council submitted their
report very full report which
was ordered to be published. This
has Drought Oh 0nOUtlcT COM lItdtIOl.
The report shows that there were over 1000
applicants for relief-counting those who
applied for relief to repair real property
damaged by the earthquake. As TO each Of
these applicants the following facts are
given a. Assessed value of applicants
property. 81 Encumbrances upon the
Same. 81 Number of persons dependent
upon applicant for support. a. Amount
of money applied for. o. Amount
granted 1t includes the applications re-
jected as well as those granted.
1t viii be readily seen that the persons
whose names appear in this report are not
disposed to have their affairs published, and
il is a natural feeling. On the other hand
there is "a very general demand on the part
of those whose names do not appear to have
the information published. 1t is said, for
instance, that there are beneficiaries on the
list who managed to hoodwink the commit
tee and get relief, to which they were not
entitled under the rule laid down by
them. No one casts any imputation
ON the committee who gave their time
freely and without price to the discharge of
very delicate and disagreeable duty, and
so public opinion is divided. Two thousand
people object to the publication of the re-
port and 10000 demand it. The City Coun-
Gil has ordered its publication, but an effort
will be made to effect a compromise, tho
plan suggested being its publication in a
modified pamphlet form, instead of in the
Ne,oS and Courier, the official organ of
Council.
A MYSTERY CLEARED UP.
The subterranean mystery mentioned in
this correspondence last week is no longer a
mystery The alleged noises were caused by
pet alligator which had escaped from its
cage, and found refuge in a sewer that ran
through the premises. Apropos of alligator
it may be mentioned that the alligator has
become quite the rage as pet Charleston.
This is a season OF the year when
the alligator feels good and risky. Some
times they take a trip down the river-the
upper waters of the Ashley and the Cooper
being the home of the aligator-and fire.
Quently 10-toot monster is seen sailing
around the harbor accompanied by dozen
or more sharks who vainly seek to make
meal of him. His tough hide, however, is
protection, and after going down to
Fort Sumter the gator generally lands
on Mount Pleasant or ON the city
shore. Sometimes he is shot by sportsmens
and sometimes he succeeds i'll hiding Quit
Then for the next week or two the people
IN his vicinity lose their chickens and swear
that the fowl thief is abroad, and set up
nights with dOuble-barrel shotguns watch-l
ing for the thief The AFFAIR ends generality
with the slaughter of the gator. Quite a
humber of young alligators, pets, have
escaped recently, and are now hiding out in
the cellars and sewers. 1t was ono Of these
that frightened the negroes in Morris street
last week.
THE NEW PAPER.
The new paper has materalized to the ex-
tent of having been christened. 1t is TO be
called the Charleston sum- and will, like its
namesake in New York, "shine for all"--
that is if its promises are fulfilled. Mr.. A.
B. Williams, of the Greenville NeUS, is to
be the editor-in-chief; Mr.. Ross A. Smith,
OF city directory fame, is TO be business
manager, and Stanhope Sans, the
Augusta Chronicles resident CORES
pondect is TO be city editor. Mr.. Sans
qualifications exhibited in his contributions
TO the Chronicle would indicate consider
able ability in the editorial" way. What
Mr.. McElrees especial position on the paper
will be is not yet definitely known, but it is
presumed from his numerous ''cards" pub
lished recently, that he will write many
''pieces" for the Sun. There seems to be a
general desire in the community to give the
SIM chance to shine, but il it is like the
historic Irishman who was shipwrecked
upon cannibal island to be "agin the gov
ernment" on general principles, il will hard
ly survive the municipal campaign.
AN INDUSTRIAL CAMPAIGN.
The first gun was fired here to-day of an
Industrial fall campaign, which promises to
develop into something good for Charleston.
1t is proposed to inaugurate gala week in
October, when a cordial invitation will be
extended to the people of South Carolina
and Georgia to come down and see the
ruins. The merchants have taken the mat
ter in hand, and arrangements will be
made to entertain our visitors in royal
style. There are just enough of the ruins
left untouched to give to visitors an idea of
the force of an earthquake, while they will
Mt the same time see what Charleston pluck
has done to recuperate the losses entailed by
two awful disasters in one year.
There still seems to be some soreness
about the publication in this correspond
ence, June 10, of a paragraph in which il
was asserted that the gas company domi-
mated the City Council My attention has
been called to u sentence in that correspond
ence, which read: "The purse of tho gas
octopus reaches the committee rooms As
matter Of fact the mistake was purely
typographical one ARMS" and not
'purse, was intended. When / state that
Col c. s. Gadsden, the Superintendent Of
the Charleston and Savannah rail
way, is chairman of the committe referred
to, it is almost useless to reiterate what
have already written. that it was not the
writer's intention TO convey the idea that
the committee has been influenced by the
money of the gas company. If there is a
more honorable, upright public spirited cit
zen in the community than Col Gadsdcn,
this cOrrpsnOndpnt does NOT know him Tho